Nature-Based Solutions as Building Blocks for the Transition towards Sustainable Climate-Resilient Food Systems

Saskia Keesstra (), Jeroen Veraart, Jan Verhagen, Saskia Visser, Marit Kragt, Vincent Linderhof, Wilfred Appelman, Jolanda van den Berg, Ayodeji Deolu-Ajayi and Annemarie Groot
Additional contact information
Saskia Keesstra: Team Soil Water and Land Use, Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jeroen Veraart: Team Climate Resilience, Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jan Verhagen: Agrosystems Business Unit, Wageningen Plant Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Saskia Visser: Team Soil Water and Land Use, Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Wilfred Appelman: Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, Postbus 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jolanda van den Berg: Green Economy and Land Use at Wageningen Economic Research, Postbus 29703, 2502 LS The Hague, The Netherlands
Ayodeji Deolu-Ajayi: Agrosystems Business Unit, Wageningen Plant Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Annemarie Groot: Team Climate Resilience, Wageningen Environmental Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: Food systems—encompassing food production, transportation, processing and consumption, including food losses and waste—are currently not delivering what is expected or needed to ensure their full contribution to societal well-being and ecological sustainability. In this paper, we hypothesize that nature-based solutions (NBS; solutions that are inspired by, supported by, or copied from nature) can overcome system challenges related to the functioning of the biosphere, society, or economy (including governance arrangements), and support a transition to sustainable climate-resilient food systems. We develop a conceptual framework to assess NBS contributions to such transitions. Three types of NBS are evaluated: intrinsic NBS which make use of existing ecosystems; hybrid NBS which manage and adapt ecosystems; and inspired NBS which consist of newly constructed ecosystems. We show that inspired NBS in particular will increase opportunities to achieve sustainable development in food systems. NBS can facilitate the much-needed transition to a different way of using our natural resources to reach the SDGs by 2030. We identify the knowledge gaps that impede the development of NBS to support a transition towards sustainable, climate-resilient food systems.

Keywords: food system transformation; climate change adaptation; ecosystem services; circular food systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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